“Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Latest Cancer King with a High Mortality Rate”

In the past, pancreatic cancer was difficult to detect, and when it was discovered, it was mostly at an advanced stage. It was regarded as the king of cancer and the silent killer. However, in fact, “small cell lung cancer” has quietly sprung up and was crowned the title of the latest cancer king. Xiao Huiyuan, a thoracic physician at Nguyen General Hospital, said that small cell lung cancer is a very malignant type of lung cancer, originating from the neuroendocrine cells of the lungs, accounting for about 15% of all lung cancers; and small cell lung cancer is highly aggressive and malignant, with a very fast proliferation rate. Therefore, metastases often occur at the time of diagnosis, and treatment is often more difficult than other cancers. The 5-year survival rate of patients is only 6%.

Xiao Huiyuan explained that both pancreatic cancer and small cell carcinoma have a high mortality rate, mainly because they often have no obvious symptoms in the early stage, and are easily overlooked. They are not discovered until the condition deteriorates. In the advanced stage, the surgical resection rate is low, and the curative effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is not very satisfactory.

The reason why the death rate of small cell lung cancer is higher than that of pancreatic cancer is that small cell lung cancer is highly invasive and malignant, and the cell proliferation is very fast, and can quickly spread to other parts. Other cancers are more difficult.

Xiao Huiyuan said that the clinical manifestations of small cell lung cancer can be divided into local symptoms and systemic symptoms; local symptoms include cough, dyspnea, chest pain, hemoptysis, hoarseness, etc. Because small cell lung cancer is usually not detected at an early stage, by the time these symptoms appear, the lung cancer may already be in an advanced stage.

Systemic symptoms include weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, night sweats, headache, etc. These symptoms are often caused by chemicals released by tumors, called endocrine symptoms, the most common of which is antidiuretic hormone-like substances. Secretion can cause edema and electrolyte imbalance.

Xiao Huiyuan reminded that people who smoke for a long time and are exposed to second-hand smoke, people who have been exposed to harmful gases and pollutants for a long time, such as chemical industry workers, diesel engine emissions, coal miners, etc., and people who have been exposed to radiation and radioactive substances for a long time People next to the radiation source, or people with a family history of lung cancer, should also be alert to the risk of small cell lung cancer.

Recently, the incidence of lung cancer in Gaoping District has been increasing year by year, especially in winter due to the influence of monsoons and waste discharge from industrial areas, exacerbating the deterioration of air quality. Long-term exposure to fine suspended particles and nitrogen dioxide in air pollution is a risk factor for lung cancer .

Xiao Huiyuan said that according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s “2021 National Cause of Death Statistics”, lung cancer has ranked first among the top 10 causes of cancer death for 18 consecutive years. 2, second only to colorectal cancer. The biggest problem with lung cancer is that there are no symptoms in the early stage. Once symptoms appear, it is usually late. To reduce the incidence and mortality of lung cancer, we must refrain from smoking and second-hand smoke, stay away from air pollution and special workplace pollution, and especially important is regular Screening, lung low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for high-risk groups can keep away from the threat of lung cancer.

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